Up here in the north (well, not quite as far north as Fort McMurray, but still…) it’s finally spring. At least, I’m sure we’ve had our last snowfall and our provincial nickname “Sunny Alberta” has since been well-earned in the two weeks since then. We even waited until after the Victoria Day long weekend to plant our little herb garden, bedding plants and tomatoes*, just to be sure we missed the last frost!

For this painting, I went back to some photos I took last year along the Mill Creek Ravine. This spot is between 76th avenue and the Whyte Avenue bridge/underpath and was once part of the old Gainer’s meat-packing plant, but you’d never know it today. A few years ago, there was so much rain and the run-off was so bad that this area nearly flooded out, but unless we get some seriously heavy rainfall soon, that’s not likely to happen this year.

I am looking forward to walking the trails again and doing some outdoor sketching and painting soon. I’ll need to remember to bring the bug-spray and to watch out for the thistles!

*oh, the tomatoes! We were invited to join the “First Annual Great Tomato Grow Off” by friends Sylvia and Lucas: 22 lovely tomato plants, grown by another friend from the seeds of a single heirloom tomato, were divided among the participants, to be cared for and lovingly attended to all summer, will be judged on the 29th of August and then be sacrificed in a tomato-feast (all except the winning tomato, which will be used to seed next year’s competition). What fun! Robin is on cloud nine – he loves growing tomatoes and is highly social and very competitive!